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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24863260">Our Little Secret</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hetalia: Axis Powers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Break Up, Cheating, F/M, Friendship, M/M, Rare Pairings, Secret Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:46:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,041</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24863260</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alfred is dating Alice, but for seven months, he's also been dating Emil, who doubts their relationship. Now, Alfred must choose between them or lose them both.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>America/Female England (Hetalia), America/Iceland (Hetalia)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Our Little Secret</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He held the world in the palm of his hands. If he could, Alfred would spend every minute of the day with the male he loved. As he cupped the face, of the person he dreamed of being with for eternity, he fell further in this feeling called love. Staring at his partner’s face, he gained another reason to live, which may or may not be to dote on his lover. Whether it was the gleaming smile that was a rare sight, that not even his family witnessed or the unique colored eyes he bore, Alfred loved it all.</p><p>“Have I told you that I love you?” Alfred asked smiling. He was stroking the face of his boyfriend of seven months and couldn’t bring himself to look away, not even for a moment. “You have said it at least five times today. I think I get the point, Al.”</p><p>The American sighed, “Well, once isn’t nearly enough. Besides, every time I say it, you get all flustered, and that is a moment I wouldn’t miss for the world. You’re adorable, Emil!” As if on command, color emerged on either side of his face and across his nose. “I’m not adorable!” He mumbled, feeling his skin growing warmer as his boyfriend showered him in more compliments. Alfred laughed, his ocean blue eyes closing only for a brief moment. Emil smiled in bliss, cherishing this minute of his boyfriend being in a cheerful mood. Why is he so perfect? He’s so sweet and considerate, something I definitely don’t deserve.</p><p>Opening his eyes, Alfred released Emil’s face and moved his arms to his waist, wrapping his arms securely around the tiny frame before bringing him closer. “Regardless of what you think, I will always see the beauty you possess.” He mumbled softly, for once, while pressing a cheek to Emil’s forehead. The Icelander’s shoulders dropped as his gaze shifted to the side. He wasn’t used to this affection, not even from the one person that promised him, ever-lasting love.</p><p>“You still up for next week?”  Alfred asked, finally releasing his partner. Emil blinked for a moment, trying to recall what he was referring to, and the look on his face caused an inaudible laugh from the other. “You forgot already? You’re so inattentive sometimes.” He teased before adding to his statement. “We’re going to the beach with our friends to start off summer break, remember? Though we may have to arrive a bit early if we want time alone.” He laughed again, only this time a hint of nervousness could be detected in its tone. Emil knew exactly what he was referring to and hated that they had to adjust events just to make time for each other. “Right, I still have to ask Lukas. It shouldn’t be a problem if I tell them an adult will be there or something.”</p><p>Alfred smiled before leaning down a bit, “It should be fine, we won’t be doing anything illegal or anything.” He winked, before leaning closer and was about to kiss Emil until he was interrupted by an obnoxious voice yelling at them about something.</p><p>“Hey, you guys, you might want to break up the lovefest. The break is over unless you want to be caught lurking around~” A brunette male cooed, receiving eye-rolls from the other two males.</p><p>“So much for privacy, huh?”</p><p>Emil sighed, “It cannot be helped. I’ll talk to you later.” As he was about to walk away, Alfred grabbed his arm. “Wait, you forgot something.” Turning around slightly, Emil looked at Alfred with an eyebrow raised before feeling a pair of lips pressed against his cheek. “I’ll text you later.” Alfred smiled, releasing Emil’s arm and witnessed the shorter male become a blushing mess. “O-okay.” He stammered, walking past the Korean and into the building to head to class.</p><p>Alfred then turned to Yong Soo and pouted childishly. “Really, dude? Do you get kicks out of ruining the mood?”</p><p>“Not really, but just because you’re hiding beneath the bleachers, doesn’t mean you’re out of sight. You should really be more cautious unless you want to be caught cheating on Alice.”</p><p>Alfred rolled his eyes and picked up his abandoned bag off the ground before tossing it over his shoulders. “She won’t find out as long as I see Emil on the down-low.”</p><p>“And is she does?” Yong Soo asked, folding his arms across his chest. “Then I’ll deal with it then. If I have to leave her, then so be it.”</p><p>------</p><p>Emil collapsed on his bed. It was late, nearly midnight, but he couldn’t bring it in himself to sleep. When his phone vibrated, he jolted up and picked up the cellular device before checking the notification. A small smile crept on his face as he rested his back against the headboard and read the message.</p><p>
  <em>Al: Hey babe, how did it go with asking your brother? Did he say yes?</em>
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  <em>Em: Luckily, after some intense convincing and unfortunate name-calling, I was able to persuade him to say yes.</em>
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  <em>Em: Being the older brother, he insists I refer to him as “big brother.” It’s annoying.</em>
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  <em>Em: Don’t remind me. It’s annoying.</em>
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  <em>Al: I bet. Anyway, I’ll pick you up next Tuesday at around nine. Is that okay? I just want to get there before everyone else.</em>
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  <em>Em: Yeah, that sounds good. But something has been on my mind, and I don’t feel I should hide it anymore.</em>
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</p><p>Emil swallowed, getting prepared for the topic he dreaded of mentioning. They talked about it before, and each time Alfred persuaded him that everything would be okay. Nothing would change, even if their relationship was being kept a secret from Alfred’s girlfriend.</p><p>
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  <em>Al: What is it? You’re not breaking up with me, right?</em>
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  <em>Em: No. Well, it’s about us. Are you sure you still want to be together, even if you’re with someone else? I know we’ve talked about it before, but I just feel guilty for receiving your affection when it belongs to someone else.</em>
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  <em>Al: Of course. I’m still thinking about my situation with dating you both, but I want you to know that I do have feelings for you. Nothing will change that.</em>
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</p><p>Emil frowned. That answer, though touching, didn’t wash away the dirty feeling covering his skin. He knew what they were doing was wrong. Emil was just as guilty as Alfred.</p><p>
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  <em>Em: Oh, alright.</em>
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  <em>Al: Hey, don’t be upset. I promise, you are my everything, and while I share feelings with Alice, my feelings towards you will never change.</em>
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  <em>Em: Yeah. I got to go, night.</em>
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</p><p>Emil set the phone on the nightstand, leaving the final message unread. He closed his eyes and waited for the anxious feelings to evaporate before getting any sleep.</p><p>
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  <em>Al: Good night, Emil. I love you.</em>
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</p><p>------</p><p>
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  <em>When those three yet simple words escape your lips, I feel that they are not meant for me.</em>
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</p><p>Anyone can say them, so what’s the point when they are meant for her?</p><p>
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</p><p>Alfred and Emil walked along the shore. Their feet were bare, and sand gathered in grains between their toes. Occasionally, a wave brushed against their feet, sending their voices to shriek at the frigid touch of the water. With their hands intertwined, they took their time basking beneath the sun.</p><p>
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</p><p>“Are you okay, babe? You’re being quiet, not that I mind, but something just feels off.” Alfred spoke up, giving his lover his full attention, and his feet kicked the warm sand. Emil hummed for a moment. “I’m fine.” He lied. Tilting his head, the blue-eyed male felt something was bothering his boyfriend, but maybe he was overthinking it. “Alright, if you say so. If something is bothering you, let me know, okay? I don’t want to keep secrets from each other.” He gave his hand a gentle squeeze.</p><p>
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</p><p>An hour later, their friends arrived.</p><p>
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</p><p>Emil was sitting on a beach towel with his best friend Li Xiao. The Asian was talking about some video game when Emil tuned him out upon hearing a loud scream followed by yelling. It was Alice.</p><p>
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</p><p>His instincts whispered not to turn around, but his gut rejected those feelings, and the nervousness began to build up as he turned to his left. Alice was yelling about something, and Alfred was just smiling. That wasn’t bizarre. It was quite normal actually, considering Alfred was known for pulling stunts and making loud comments, which undoubtedly deserved repercussions. Something else happened, though Emil couldn’t see due to the crowds of people surrounding the duo.</p><p>
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</p><p>“Hey, like, are you listening?’ A voice called out, obliging Emil to turn around.</p><p>
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</p><p>“Huh, oh, sorry. I zoned out.” Li Xiao sighed. “You’re hopeless.”</p><p>
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</p><p>At the end of the day, everyone had left, leaving Alfred and Emil alone. They had just finished putting their used beach towels in the back seat. Emil was about to climb into the passengers’ seat until Alfred stopped him. “Do you mind if we talk for a minute? There is something I’d like to speak to you about.” He asked, holding out his hand for his boyfriend to take. Emil accepted the offered hand and was lured away from the parking lot and near the sea.</p><p>
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</p><p>They walked in silence, this time, the waves were more active, and the sky was becoming darker in tone. “I did some thinking, and yes, that is rare of me to admit, but I know that I have been hurting you severely. I know you lied earlier when I asked if you were okay. You had every right to lie because you don’t want to talk about what is bugging you, even if it is about us.” The American sighed heavily, stopping in his tracks, only to move in front of the Icelander and grab his hands, holding them tightly. He gazed into a pair of glistening magenta eyes, subsequently witnessing every feeling and secret that was held back. How could he be so blind to have not seen this before? Maybe he should have made a decision sooner.</p><p>
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</p><p>“Emil Steilsson, I love you. My heart used to belong to Alice, and at one point, was shared with you, but that ends today. I ended my relationship with Alice after recognizing that it was wrong of me to keep our relationship a secret and not giving you my entire being. That is why I ended it with her. I told her everything, including my relationship with you, and that I wanted to be exclusive to you. Yeah, it is going to take some time to get over her and whatnot, but she was a bit aggressive.” Alfred chuckled but stopped when he realized what he was saying.</p><p>
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</p><p>“Right, enough about her. I am truly sorry for hurting you, Em. I never meant for this to happen, and I hope you can forgive me someday. Until then, I want to give you my heart and love you unconditionally. Will you do the same?”</p><p>
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</p><p>By staring into those ocean blue eyes, Emil could spot the genuine love Alfred was feeling. He truly meant every word, and it was incredibly difficult to ignore such sweet loving words. “Of course, you idiot.” Emil did not have a chance to move when his hands were freed. Alfred wrapped his arms around Emil's waist, pulling him in close and buried his face in the soft light-silver hair. He whispered something, but Emil could not understand what he said till Alfred lowered his head before moving in closer.</p><p>
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</p><p>“I love you, Emil, thank you for lending me your heart.” He smiled, pressing his lips against Emil’s. Additional words were not needed after that. Emil returned the kiss and wrapped his arms around Alfred’s shoulders.</p><p>
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</p><p>When they pulled apart, it was Emil’s turn to announce his feelings.</p><p>
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</p><p>“I love you too, Alfred. I have loved you since the day we started seeing each other, and while I wish the circumstances were slightly different, I do not regret falling in love with you.”</p><p>
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